Survive an Impending Audit
Razor thin margin for error, high stakes.
- Impending audits intimidate CIOs and business executives – and for good reason.
- A failed audit can result in punitive fines and injunctions that disrupt continuing operations until violations are resolved.
- These highly visible failures are best prevented through auditor-enterprise collaboration and pragmatic audit management.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- Shift the audit paradigm: auditors need to be enabled, not resisted.
- Auditors provide a value-added service that you are paying for. Establishing an effective relationship and enabling the audit team can ensure you get value from the engagement. However, you must also be vigilant in mitigating the risk of damaging findings.
Impact and Result
- Effective audit management means acting with kindness to establish an effective relationship and taking vigilant, calculated steps to reduce the risk of adverse findings.
- Clarify the audit scope and prepare documentation in advance.
- Start off on a positive note and enable the auditor.
- Manage audit logistics to minimize business disruption.
- Dispute unwarranted findings.
- Continuously improve your auditability.
Survive an Impending Audit
1. Prepare staff and management
Plan for a productive audit that will benefit the organization.
2. Conduct the audit
Ensure business continuity and mitigate the risk of damaging findings.
3. Manage post-audit activities
Improve the organization's ability to handle future audits.
Onsite Workshop: Survive an Impending Audit
Onsite workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost onsite delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
Module 1: Audit Scoping
The Purpose
- Determine audit team.
- Identify audit scoping plan.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Clear definitions of team member roles and responsibilities.
- Proper audit scoping.
Activities
Outputs
Define audit roles and responsibilities
- Defined roles and responsibilities
Develop audit scoping email
- Completed audit scoping email
Module 2: Audit Preparation
The Purpose
- Gather required documentation.
- Prepare facilities and staff.
Key Benefits Achieved
- Prepared documentation.
- Prepared facilities and staff.
Activities
Outputs
Documentation gathering
- List of required documentation
Facilities walkthrough and review
- List of facilities requirements
Staff prep tactics
- List of tactics for dealing with the auditor
Module 3: Post Audit
The Purpose
- Clarify and remit findings
Key Benefits Achieved
- Downgraded findings
- Clarified recommendations
Activities
Outputs
Review auditor report
Draft follow-up email
- Follow-up email to auditors
About Info-Tech
Info-Tech Research Group is the world’s fastest-growing information technology research and advisory company, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals.
We produce unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. We partner closely with IT teams to provide everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
What Is a Blueprint?
A blueprint is designed to be a roadmap, containing a methodology and the tools and templates you need to solve your IT problems.
Each blueprint can be accompanied by a Guided Implementation that provides you access to our world-class analysts to help you get through the project.
Need Extra Help?
Try Our Guided Implementations
Get the help you need in this 3-phase advisory process. You'll receive 3 touchpoints with our researchers, all included in your membership.
Guided Implementation #1 - Prepare for the audit
- Call #1 - Discuss resource requirements and preparedness for your next audit
Guided Implementation #2 - Conduct the audit
- Call #1 - Discuss confirmed audit scope and roles and responsibilities
Guided Implementation #3 - Manage post-audit activities
- Call #1 - Discuss the validity of the findings and calculate compliance cost savings
Contributors
- Glen Notman, Associate Partner, Citihub
- Tony Noblett, SVP CISO, Urban Lending Solutions
- Heriot Prentice, Director of Technology Operations Review, Brown & Brown
- Carter Cameron-Huff, Consultant, Enterprise Risk Services, MNP LLP